


One Last Word

by julezandfandoms



Category: One Last Word: Series
Genre: Action, Alternate Reality, Death, Drama, Dystopian, F/M, Love Triangle, Other, Romance, little angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julezandfandoms/pseuds/julezandfandoms
Summary: Macel, a girl who has no idea how old she is, where she belongs, or who she trusts, has been living her life for as long as she can remember inside 'The Dome'.  A closed in society where world peace has been met with open arms. This is what the world wanted, but Macel new something wasn't right. To many puzzle pieces didn't fit together. Along with many other Macel slowly learns about the world and what is beyond.After Kota and Macel discover they're chosen to complete what the world couldn't they must fight for what they believe is true. Relationships blossom and fall apart, death spreads across mountains and trauma haunts them. All Macel wants is peace, but is that even attainable?This is my first time posting on ao3, but I have three years of experience in writing so no attacking.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1: Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starting out slow, but steady:)

A place where world peace has been met with open arms. A world where everyone loves each other and are completely blinded by the perfections of themselves. The imperfections glazed over with the words ‘people make mistakes’. The world outside is unknown and out of reach and will forever stay that way. 

~

The hem of my floral dress fell to the ground, in what seemed like slow motion. My heavy breathing could be heard through the halls, and over that, my pounding heart. I walked down the rustic corridor at a steady pace. My two inch heels began digging at my old calluses, creating fresh ones. The footsteps of another rang through my ears, leading me to hide in fear of being found. I turned left into a room, but instead of it being a rustic chamber, I found myself standing in a green pasture. Daisies and poppies growing as far as the eye could see. I turned to leave or even close the door, but to my surprise the door had disappeared and I was only staring at the other half of the endless green fields, the blue sky filled with puffy white clouds. I bent down and slipped my beige heels off, relieving myself of the pain. A sigh escaped my lips and my anxiety seemed to have left my body. Everything seemed at ease. Seemed.

In the blink of an eye I was back to the real world. My light yellow bedroom walls welcomed me. I laid in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. That was my recurring dream. We were told to tell the Ward if we were having recurring dreams. It was a ‘process’ everyone went through once in their term. We’re told in school that a recurring dream shows us the darkness of the world we once knew. In the year 2021 the world snapped into chaos. The survivors of what we call ‘The End’ came together and created ‘The Beginning’ which followed with the construction of “The Dome’. That’s our history. They expect us to believe that these dreams we have are the worst of our past. Personally my dreams seem very intriguing. At the same time they don’t make any sense. My dreams are puzzle pieces that don’t go together. My puzzle’s are always sitting there unfinished. It just really nags at my OCD.  
My thoughts were interrupted by the laughter of children at play. I glanced at my window realizing that I had left it open all night. I stared at the clear blue sky watching the tops of the trees blow in the wind.  
“Good Morning Everyone. Meals will be distributed to your neighborhood shortly. Please be ready at your station to assist meal workers.”  
Every morning at 8:00, breakfast is dropped off at every neighborhood station. The station is where everyone eats together at the assigned time. Lunch is at 12:00 pm and dinner's at 6:00 pm. Our bodies grow accustomed to this system in the youth of our term.  
I got myself out of bed and walked over to my white dresser to retrieve my outfit for the day. I chose a pair of blue clad jeans and a white button up shirt. To go with it I grabbed a pair of my mother’s white sneakers that she told me I could use whenever I wanted. I passed my little brother Arti in the hall and gave him a friendly tap on the head. I heard him giggle as I continued to the bathroom. I brushed my hair and teeth and headed to the living room. Since we don’t eat in our home no house has a kitchen except the ‘Kitchen’ itself.  
“Macel, sweety can you help your brother with his shoes.” My mother asked me tenderly.  
“Of course.” I responded in a similar tone of voice.  
I walked over to my struggling brother as he attempted to tie a bow with his shoe laces. I chuckled at his lousy attempts.  
“Silly, I’ve shown you how to do it before. Come on. Fold each end of the lace into a single "bunny ear," hold the "ears" in place between your thumb and pointer finger on each hand. Cross the bunny ears so that they form an "X" in the air and then loop the bottom bunny ear over and through the top bunny ear. Ta dah!”  
My brother sat there with wide eyes. He was yet again amazed by my “skills” in tying laces.  
“Teach me, teach me!” He squealed as he shook my back and forth.  
“Arti, I just-” my words were cut off by my father's voice.  
“Kids, time to go.” My father was already standing at the door with my mother waiting to leave.  
We both stood up after I quickly did his other shoe. As we walked down our perfectly symmetrical neighborhood I stared up at the sky. If you focused hard enough you could see the honeycomb shapes that made up The Dome. They gave off a hollow graphic shimmer that could only be seen with a keen eye. I happen to have a keen eye. My mother always told me I was just seeing things and that the dome wasn’t actually there, but was more created in our minds. My dad said that it was there and that it has been the thing that kept us safe all these years. Either way they both think there’s nothing wrong with the fact that we can’t leave this place. I’ve had a curious spirit since I was little and my dream was to leave these invisible walls one day. I told my parents that and all they did was give me a weird look. Like I was insane or hit my head a little too hard as a kid.  
As we neared the meal station I took in the smell of the food. The same boring Canet dish that we have every breakfast. I always hoped that maybe one day the Kitchen would make something different, but so far my wish hasn’t come true.  
I took a seat at a table with other kids that were my age while my brother and parents sat with their clicks. Clicks are people that you have personal relationships with. Most clicks only last a quarter of a person's term, but always end on a good note. I’ve only ever had one click and it lasted a few days, which in my case isn’t a surprise. Her name was Petra and had a very quiet demeanor and manner. She said ‘hi’ to me and after that we hung out. Then she was later moved to a different neighborhood. It had something to do with her grandma’s term coming to an end. Anyways I remember crying for days and not wanting to ever have a ‘click’ again. My parents told me I was being too dramatic, but deep down inside I felt like I had lost my other half.  
“Mace, right? Or is it Macel?” A boy who sat to my right tapped my shoulder. His teal orbs sparkled as he pushed a strand of messy long black hair behind his ear. He had a very pretty face and seemed very composed.  
Most boys I’ve talked to had a stutter as they talked. I decided to listen to the ‘teachings’ of the words friendly and kind. “Yeah. It’s Macel. What about you?” I gave him a gentle smile.  
“The name’s Kota. My parents are your parents' clicks. Kind of funny, because they always talk about you.” He said as he scratched his nape.  
I tried to hold back a blush, noting that I’d bring that up with my parents.  
“Yeah, my parents like to set me up. It’s embarrassing.” I palmed my face.  
I heard a chuckle escape Kota’s lips. “Nothing wrong with that. They just want you to be happy.”  
“I guess, unless they don’t mention anything about it to me.” I said, biting my bottom lip, attempting to hold in a smirk.  
“If we continue talking we might make a click.” Kota laughed out loud this time.  
It made me happy inside to be a part of someone’s laughter. Before I broke into laughter with him, Petra’s face appeared in my mind. A sickening feeling stirred in my stomach and suddenly I lost my appetite. I gripped my abdomen as I looked to my lap.  
“Hey you okay?” Kota noticed my sickened state.  
Although I know all he meant was to be kind, my mind couldn’t let go on the thought of Petra. When her face was replaced with Kota’s in my mind I snapped. I stood up, pushing my chair away with my legs.  
“I’m not hungry anymore.” I quickly bowed and turned to run. My legs brought me to the neighborhood playground. I climbed into a plastic blue tunnel and let it swallow me up as I curled into a ball to cry. Tears poured from my ducts as I whimpered.  
I quickly wiped the fresh tears away as I heard footsteps grow near. I bury my face in my knees hoping the person wouldn’t find me.  
“Macel…” Kota’s warm, tender voice made me feel a little relieved. I was glad my parents weren’t the ones who came to give me a pep talk.  
“Your parents are worried, but I told them I’d talk to you. They got all excited and said It was okay.” His tone changed to a more sarcastic manner, but not so much that insulted.  
“S-sounds like them.” I hiccuped. A blush kissed my cheeks as I slowly climbed out of the blue tunnel. “They’re probably thinking we’ll make a click.”  
“Well...won’t we?” Kota looked at me with furrowed brows.  
Not giving him a straight answer, I looked and shook my head.  
“Did something happen? You got all clammy.” His eyes seemed genuinely worried.  
I took a deep breath making a decision. “When I was in my youth I had a click. It only lasted four days and she moved away. It really hurt me so I told myself I’d never have a click again.”  
“Oh...I see.” Kota stood there speechless.  
We waited for each other to speak, but words never came. The silence was unbearable, but somewhat serene.  
Kota took a seat on the nearest play set and looked at me with pity. Not a condescending kind of pity, but with pure kindness. “Well I don’t plan on moving anytime soon."  
“Yeah, but you don’t know th-”  
“Sure I do.” Kota’s signature smile returned. He got back on his feet and walked over to me. As he looked down at me he took my hand in his. “Macel, will you let go of your past click. You know I’ve gotten a chance to look in our historical dictionaries. There’s billions of words that we don’t use anymore. The one I found most fitting for this situation will definitely sound better.” Kota crouched down still holding my hand in his, “Macel will you be my friend?"


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbye

It left an itch. Deep down inside me, I felt...curious. Kota spoke of words that have been wiped from history, unattainable to an average person. His father works for the Daily Catalog and has access to files and bibliographies that were stored away. He’s been told to keep the information he reads a secret, but Kota squeezes things out of him. That day on my way to the Learning Commons, Kota’s word “friends” lingered in my head. I wondered why they would dispose of words at all. What was the point in that?  
The Learning Commons is where you go to learn about history, science, mathematics, geography, and languages. When you reach grade nine, you’re allowed to choose a subject you wish to study for another four years. Most people choose either science, mathematics or geography. I chose history. I was later disappointed at how univentiful our ancestors' history is. Then there’s the Big Gap where nothing happened outside The Dome. Just wasteland met with storms, mother nature and animals living freely. We don’t have animals in The Dome, because of how dangerous they are. Dogs were known for their teeth, while cats for their claws. They would only bring oppression and hurt. That’s what we’re taught. I was yet again uneasy about the thought. I thought choosing history as my subject would bring me peace of mind or satisfaction or maybe it would even indulge my curiosity. No, it only left me with an awful uneasy gut feeling that haunted me.  
“Macey!” A bright and cheery Kota interrupted my thoughts as I watched him charge right towards me.  
“Macey who?” I looked at the blue eyed boy, bewildered by the name he had given me.  
“Macey you.” said Kota pointing both his index fingers at me.  
His face looked ridiculous, I almost laughed. Almost.  
“No no. It’s Macel to you.” I said looking away and continuing my walk to The Learning Commons.  
“Aw, not even Mace, or, or maybe...Ace!”  
I choked on air.  
“Wha-what did you say.” My words came out rough, but I was more trying to focus on this nostalgic feeling deep inside me. It was like I had deja vu while having deja vu. If that makes any sense.  
“Ace. It’s a good nick-name. Because all it is is getting rid of the “M” an-”  
I stopped Kota right there and crouched down to the paved sidewalk we were currently sauntering down. I slowly brought my hands up to my cheeks and in a swift, sudden movement, slapped them both.  
“Macel!” Kota joined me on the ground as I scrunched my nose from the pain.  
“How red are my cheeks?” I asked, looking at Kota.  
“Red enough. Is this a thing you do often. Ya know...smacking yourself.” I could see the worry in his eyes which only made me laugh inside.  
“No, just when I’m getting an awful gut feeling. Which I get all the time...so…” I trailed off getting lost in thought again. Why did the name “Ace” trigger something inside me? What was it that I was missing?

~

I never knew a day could fly by so fast. Even though my History class only had seven students, including me and Kota, it would usually take awhile to get through everything. Obviously not today. As I turned the corner heading onto my street an abrupt blast sounded through my ears. I looked to the sky to see purple cracks forming in what used to be blue holograms. Then everything went quiet. My sweat built up and my body began to tremble. I looked to see all my neighbors coming outside of their homes to see what all the commotion was. Terror was all over their faces when they saw the cracks in the sky. Screams met my ears, which set me into focus. I picked up my feet and bolted to my house. My parents were already outside with my little brother looking up at the sky. They were only meters away from me when the ground began to shake. I immediately knew what was happening. An earthquake. It’d been 162 years since the last recorded earthquake and that wasn’t even when The Dome was standing. Now I was falling to the ground, because I couldn’t keep my balance. My eyes went to my family as soon as I hit the ground.  
“Mom! Dad! Arti! Are you guys okay?!” I shouted to them, not knowing what else I could do at the moment.  
“We’re fin-” My mother’s voice was cut off as the porch roof they were standing under caved in.  
I sat there as buildings fell and the ground cracked. The sudden realization that my family was just crushed hit me almost as hard as Kota.  
“Snap out of it!” Kota’s hand reached my cheek waking me from my trance. “Dude we have to go!”  
I was confused by Kota’s statement. Where did he want to go? I didn’t have much say in the matter as I was in shock. Kota’s hand guided me and kept me on two feet as we ran through the streets. We passed many screaming people, collapsed and collapsing homes. I was blindly following Kota while trying to hold back the tears that were trying to seep through another time. I came back to reality when the chaos stopped and when I found myself standing in front of a strange building I’d never seen before. Kota let go of my hand and went to open the only door on the edge of the white stucco walls. The wooden door opened with ease and led us into a metal sealed room. The roof was filled with fans, air ducts and strange metal tubes. The floor was clean and accommodated with a set of white vintage couches. Sitting on one of the couches was a man with long grey hair that reached to his knees. He sat there, cross legged with a champagne glass in hand.  
“We’re here to leave. Unfortunately we never got to grab any supplies so we’ll have to use yours. If that's okay? You said it would be.” Kota hurried over to the other side of the room and opened to metal cupboard doors revealing a wide selection of backpacks, satchels and duffels. They seemed to be stuffed to the rim.  
I was in a state of confusion. My legs were barely holding myself up and my mind was in pieces along with my heart. I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was.  
“The girl seems confused. Does she understand the situation?” The young man with white hair got up and walked over to my feeble state. “Hmm. She’s in shock. Here girl try some.”  
The man handed me his fancy glass and I took a gulp. It took me a few seconds to feel it, but when the burning sensation kicked in I yelped, stumbling back.  
“She’s quite the virgin hmm? Give this one the purple backpack. It’s got a stash of my favorite Bacardi. Maybe that’ll kick some sense into her.”  
Kota walked over to me and helped the purple pack onto my back. He himself wore a shamrock green pack that buckled around his under chest like mine.  
“Kota. Are we…” After putting the pieces together I finally came up with a crazy delusion that we were trying to leave The Dome.  
“Yeah we’re leaving. The Dome I mean…” Kota’s face seemed both nervous and elated. His expression was giving me chills as I’d never seen it before.  
My feeling of wanting to know the unknown and wanting to see what I couldn’t see, I knew could only be fulfilled by leaving the very place that kept me. Kept me from human’s past, ancestry, the world. We didn’t know what it looked like outside. We didn’t know what the world had for us. All you could do was walk to the edge of The Dome and look at the endless blue sky. The endless hologram of lies.  
“What if there’s nothing out there?” Doubt began to creep inside my thoughts. What was this sudden earthquake from and what was its significance. Why now, did Kota choose to make this decision. Why at this very moment did I have to feel the pain of loss. The thought of my family dying only brought me more doubt. Confusion, fear, they overwhelmed me. I finally gave in, falling to my knees, I broke down. The horrible sounds of my sobs echoed through the metals walls of the square building. I was comforted by the warm strong arms of Kota, but they weren’t enough to mend my broken heart or heal my fresh wounds. He knew that, but he also knew that I wanted to know. I wanted to know the unknown and to do that I needed to greet the unknown with open arms. Kota would be by my side. As soon as that clicked in I made up my mind. I got to my feet and wiped my tears away. Turning to the strange man with white hair, he greeted me with a bright, almost fake, smile and I returned it with a nod.  
“I understand the situation. I know you know about my gut feelings, Kota. Do you get them too?” I looked at my friend with wonder on my face.  
“Yes. I’m sure a lot of people get them. They probably just aren’t as curious as us.” Kota gave me a bright smile, not fake like the white haired man.  
“It’s Adrienne child. Adrienne Knox. You’ll hear about me outside. Trust me.”  
I watched as Adrienne walked to a door in the floor. He gestured for us to follow. We followed him into the floor and what he called a “tunnel”. It was a long darkly lit tube that was tall and wide enough for me and Kota to stand up right, but not Adrienne.  
“Walk to the end until you see the light. You’ll know when you're outside. Trust me when I say you’ll be safer out there than in here.” He turned around to open a large cupboard. In it he grabbed a metal strangely shaped device and two large knives about as long as my forearm. “Even so it’s not safe. This,” Adrienne said as he handed Kota the metal device. “Is a Springfield XD. A gun, treat it with care.”  
Kota took the “gun” in his hand and I watched as Adrienne showed him how to use it.  
“Now,” Adrienne turned to face me. “These are dual blade swords. They take a while to get used to, but you’ll have the time to learn. People out there will help you.” He handed me the sharp swords.  
I held them by the handle and admired their beauty. They were matching, but one had a moon engraved on the tip while the other had a sun. The handles were wrapped with grippy material and the blade itself was so shiny I could see my own reflection.  
“Macel, lets go.” Kota looked at me with a weary smile.  
I nodded and watched him as he gave Adrienne a tight hug. They seemed close. We made our way down the tunnel as I looked back over my shoulder. I never got to say goodbye to my family. Will I ever see them again? That was the last thing I thought before I turned back to see the outside.


	3. Chapter 2: Goodbye

It left an itch. Deep down inside me, I felt...curious. Kota spoke of words that have been wiped from history, unattainable to an average person. His father works for the Daily Catalog and has access to files and bibliographies that were stored away. He’s been told to keep the information he reads a secret, but Kota squeezes things out of him. That day on my way to the Learning Commons, Kota’s word “friends” lingered in my head. I wondered why they would dispose of words at all. What was the point in that?  
The Learning Commons is where you go to learn about history, science, mathematics, geography, and languages. When you reach grade nine, you’re allowed to choose a subject you wish to study for another four years. Most people choose either science, mathematics or geography. I chose history. I was later disappointed at how univentiful our ancestors' history is. Then there’s the Big Gap where nothing happened outside The Dome. Just wasteland met with storms, mother nature and animals living freely. We don’t have animals in The Dome, because of how dangerous they are. Dogs were known for their teeth, while cats for their claws. They would only bring oppression and hurt. That’s what we’re taught. I was yet again uneasy about the thought. I thought choosing history as my subject would bring me peace of mind or satisfaction or maybe it would even indulge my curiosity. No, it only left me with an awful uneasy gut feeling that haunted me.  
“Macey!” A bright and cheery Kota interrupted my thoughts as I watched him charge right towards me.   
“Macey who?” I looked at the blue eyed boy, bewildered by the name he had given me.   
“Macey you.” said Kota pointing both his index fingers at me.   
His face looked ridiculous, I almost laughed. Almost.   
“No no. It’s Macel to you.” I said looking away and continuing my walk to The Learning Commons.   
“Aw, not even Mace, or, or maybe...Ace!”   
I choked on air.   
“Wha-what did you say.” My words came out rough, but I was more trying to focus on this nostalgic feeling deep inside me. It was like I had deja vu while having deja vu. If that makes any sense.   
“Ace. It’s a good nick-name. Because all it is is getting rid of the “M” an-”  
I stopped Kota right there and crouched down to the paved sidewalk we were currently sauntering down. I slowly brought my hands up to my cheeks and in a swift, sudden movement, slapped them both.   
“Macel!” Kota joined me on the ground as I scrunched my nose from the pain.   
“How red are my cheeks?” I asked, looking at Kota.  
“Red enough. Is this a thing you do often. Ya know...smacking yourself.” I could see the worry in his eyes which only made me laugh inside.   
“No, just when I’m getting an awful gut feeling. Which I get all the time...so…” I trailed off getting lost in thought again. Why did the name “Ace” trigger something inside me? What was it that I was missing?

~

I never knew a day could fly by so fast. Even though my History class only had seven students, including me and Kota, it would usually take awhile to get through everything. Obviously not today. As I turned the corner heading onto my street an abrupt blast sounded through my ears. I looked to the sky to see purple cracks forming in what used to be blue holograms. Then everything went quiet. My sweat built up and my body began to tremble. I looked to see all my neighbors coming outside of their homes to see what all the commotion was. Terror was all over their faces when they saw the cracks in the sky. Screams met my ears, which set me into focus. I picked up my feet and bolted to my house. My parents were already outside with my little brother looking up at the sky. They were only meters away from me when the ground began to shake. I immediately knew what was happening. An earthquake. It’d been 162 years since the last recorded earthquake and that wasn’t even when The Dome was standing. Now I was falling to the ground, because I couldn’t keep my balance. My eyes went to my family as soon as I hit the ground.   
“Mom! Dad! Arti! Are you guys okay?!” I shouted to them, not knowing what else I could do at the moment.  
“We’re fin-” My mother’s voice was cut off as the porch roof they were standing under caved in.   
I sat there as buildings fell and the ground cracked. The sudden realization that my family was just crushed hit me almost as hard as Kota.   
“Snap out of it!” Kota’s hand reached my cheek waking me from my trance. “Dude we have to go!”   
I was confused by Kota’s statement. Where did he want to go? I didn’t have much say in the matter as I was in shock. Kota’s hand guided me and kept me on two feet as we ran through the streets. We passed many screaming people, collapsed and collapsing homes. I was blindly following Kota while trying to hold back the tears that were trying to seep through another time. I came back to reality when the chaos stopped and when I found myself standing in front of a strange building I’d never seen before. Kota let go of my hand and went to open the only door on the edge of the white stucco walls. The wooden door opened with ease and led us into a metal sealed room. The roof was filled with fans, air ducts and strange metal tubes. The floor was clean and accommodated with a set of white vintage couches. Sitting on one of the couches was a man with long grey hair that reached to his knees. He sat there, cross legged with a champagne glass in hand.   
“We’re here to leave. Unfortunately we never got to grab any supplies so we’ll have to use yours. If that's okay? You said it would be.” Kota hurried over to the other side of the room and opened to metal cupboard doors revealing a wide selection of backpacks, satchels and duffels. They seemed to be stuffed to the rim.   
I was in a state of confusion. My legs were barely holding myself up and my mind was in pieces along with my heart. I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was.   
“The girl seems confused. Does she understand the situation?” The young man with white hair got up and walked over to my feeble state. “Hmm. She’s in shock. Here girl try some.”  
The man handed me his fancy glass and I took a gulp. It took me a few seconds to feel it, but when the burning sensation kicked in I yelped, stumbling back.   
“She’s quite the virgin hmm? Give this one the purple backpack. It’s got a stash of my favorite Bacardi. Maybe that’ll kick some sense into her.”   
Kota walked over to me and helped the purple pack onto my back. He himself wore a shamrock green pack that buckled around his under chest like mine.   
“Kota. Are we…” After putting the pieces together I finally came up with a crazy delusion that we were trying to leave The Dome.   
“Yeah we’re leaving. The Dome I mean…” Kota’s face seemed both nervous and elated. His expression was giving me chills as I’d never seen it before.   
My feeling of wanting to know the unknown and wanting to see what I couldn’t see, I knew could only be fulfilled by leaving the very place that kept me. Kept me from human’s past, ancestry, the world. We didn’t know what it looked like outside. We didn’t know what the world had for us. All you could do was walk to the edge of The Dome and look at the endless blue sky. The endless hologram of lies.   
“What if there’s nothing out there?” Doubt began to creep inside my thoughts. What was this sudden earthquake from and what was its significance. Why now, did Kota choose to make this decision. Why at this very moment did I have to feel the pain of loss. The thought of my family dying only brought me more doubt. Confusion, fear, they overwhelmed me. I finally gave in, falling to my knees, I broke down. The horrible sounds of my sobs echoed through the metals walls of the square building. I was comforted by the warm strong arms of Kota, but they weren’t enough to mend my broken heart or heal my fresh wounds. He knew that, but he also knew that I wanted to know. I wanted to know the unknown and to do that I needed to greet the unknown with open arms. Kota would be by my side. As soon as that clicked in I made up my mind. I got to my feet and wiped my tears away. Turning to the strange man with white hair, he greeted me with a bright, almost fake, smile and I returned it with a nod.   
“I understand the situation. I know you know about my gut feelings, Kota. Do you get them too?” I looked at my friend with wonder on my face.  
“Yes. I’m sure a lot of people get them. They probably just aren’t as curious as us.” Kota gave me a bright smile, not fake like the white haired man.   
“It’s Adrienne child. Adrienne Knox. You’ll hear about me outside. Trust me.”   
I watched as Adrienne walked to a door in the floor. He gestured for us to follow. We followed him into the floor and what he called a “tunnel”. It was a long darkly lit tube that was tall and wide enough for me and Kota to stand up right, but not Adrienne.   
“Walk to the end until you see the light. You’ll know when you're outside. Trust me when I say you’ll be safer out there than in here.” He turned around to open a large cupboard. In it he grabbed a metal strangely shaped device and two large knives about as long as my forearm. “Even so it’s not safe. This,” Adrienne said as he handed Kota the metal device. “Is a Springfield XD. A gun, treat it with care.”   
Kota took the “gun” in his hand and I watched as Adrienne showed him how to use it.   
“Now,” Adrienne turned to face me. “These are dual blade swords. They take a while to get used to, but you’ll have the time to learn. People out there will help you.” He handed me the sharp swords.  
I held them by the handle and admired their beauty. They were matching, but one had a moon engraved on the tip while the other had a sun. The handles were wrapped with grippy material and the blade itself was so shiny I could see my own reflection.   
“Macel, lets go.” Kota looked at me with a weary smile.   
I nodded and watched him as he gave Adrienne a tight hug. They seemed close. We made our way down the tunnel as I looked back over my shoulder. I never got to say goodbye to my family. Will I ever see them again? That was the last thing I thought before I turned back to see the outside.


End file.
